1. The Field of the Art
The present invention relates to a dough transport device and, more particularly, to an apparatus for moving and dividing dough.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices for transporting and dividing dough are well known. In general, such devices take pre-mixed dough and transport the dough using an auger type dough pump to a manifold. At the manifold, dough is extruded or dispensed at a nozzle and then cut into uniform pieces by a cutter.
Although such a dough transport devices as described above are well known, problems still exist in such devices, especially when the extended use of the devices in a commercial setting is considered. Over time, known dough transport devices tend to require large amounts of maintenance as well as having a decreased life-span due to their inherent construction.
An example of this is the use of metering pumps, which commercial bakeries rely on to ensure that a consistent amount of dough is delivered from the auger pump to the manifold. Such metering pumps are an extra component located between the end of the auger and the manifold and rely on positive displacement to operate. However, such metering pumps are very expensive in the first instance and also require much maintenance to clean and the like. One example of required extra maintenance and thus extra undesired cost is that such metering pumps cause undesired pressures which tend to wear out auger pump bearing surfaces. Such bearing surfaces thus wear out more quickly and need to be replaced on a much more frequent basis.
In order to reduce the type of problems described above, the present inventions improve the performance of dough transport devices by providing mechanisms which are not subject to wear and deterioration to the degree of known dough transport devices.